r/Android • u/AutoModerator • Jan 14 '15
Custom Kernel users: what do you use and why?
Custom kernels are specific to each individual device, and there aren't usually many kernel developers who make kernels for multiple devices, though there are a few big names (such as Franco, Faux, lean kernel among others).
What custom kernel do you use on your device?
What was your primary motivation for using a custom kernel? Improved battery life? Color tweaks? Sound tweaks?
Are there any features you feel are missing from it? Do you think there are too many features?
What do you use to tweak your kernel? Apps? Scripts? Leave a link to what you use!
Any instability issues, or have you not had much trouble?
12
u/wgn_luv Jan 14 '15
I use the semaphore kernel on my Nexus 4 after upgrading to Lollipop coz my power button doesn't work very well and I need double tap to wake functionality. That's the only feature i use in the kernel. I don't mess with the settings otherwise.
I didn't need this in KitKat coz Gravity Box and xposed let me wake up using the volume button.
5
Jan 14 '15
Semaphore is really good all around though. Lots of great original features & it's made by the friendliest dev around
1
u/falanor Jan 14 '15
Could use an app to replace the on/off function like Gravity Screen.
-1
u/KillerBeeSting Jan 15 '15
Or he could have it implemented at the kernel level. Which is the route he's opted for. Why would you suggest an inferior method?
2
u/falanor Jan 15 '15
Probably because it's the only reason he's gone with the kernel instead of using one that would have more utility to him? Yeah it's not as solid as using it at the kernel level but if all you use it for is that then you're getting very little use out of a custom kernel. It's like using a sledgehammer for a nail when you can use a mediocre hammer to get the job done and have a kernel that you'd prefer.
-1
u/KillerBeeSting Jan 15 '15 edited Jan 15 '15
I don't even know where to start with your comment.
That's a pretty big assumption that he's not using any other feature of the custom kernel. Not to mention of he's running a custom kernel he probably dabbles in custom ROMs.
Even if he were only taking advantage of that feature it's quite the optimal solution. Kernel is already in memory. Why would you download an app that that sits in temporary memory to achieve such an important task as to wake your display device. Kernel sits in resident memory. It's never pushed out. Using a third party app that will at some point be pushed from memory for such a critical tasks would be the last option. Not the first.
He clearly has the skill set to root & unlock his phone flashing a custom kernel is as trivial as installing an app from the Play Store.
Not trying to get on your ass or anything but your suggestion was quite inferior to his current setup. I just didn't see the point in you making it.
8
Jan 14 '15
Boeffla kernel on galaxy s3
Dorimanx and CloudyKernel on LG G2
You can customize your settings a lot with Boeffla and Dorimanx kernels. For stability I use the CloudyKernel
2
Jan 14 '15
Dorimanx does seem pretty stable nowadays though. It's been a while since I've gotten a spontaneous reboot. :)
1
Jan 16 '15
Idd but I lost many times the bus because alarm clock didn't ring XD. Dorimanx also has many many options, actually too many. If you want everything from your LG it's the best
1
u/Darabo Jan 14 '15
Which one for the G2 do you think provides better battery life?
I use Dorimanx for the CloudyG3 ROM for my Verizon G2 with "battery profile" settings and it's just...okay battery life.
1
Jan 16 '15
If I manage my data and WiFi well I usually get 5 hours screen time with CloudyKernel
Dorimanx is good but it comes With TOO many options, sometimes I feel lost about if the settings I use are fine or not.
1
8
Jan 14 '15 edited Jan 14 '15
Franco kernel on the Nexus 5. Used it to improve the battery life and to undervolt the phone. I'm pretty happy it's been able to do both. The paid FKU app adds a lot of functionality. Wished it had double tap to wake but I think it's not there to save battery. No instability issues on default settings. Overall a great kernel based on my usage patterns.
12
u/franciscofranco1990 Jan 15 '15
Exactly The Nexus 5 hardware is not prepared to handle any sort of wake-ish display state to receive input touches and register them. To do that there's massive battery drain and I'd rather not have it present on the Kernel or users mis-use it and I spend more time listening to complains (from their own shit) than actually doing some work :)
3
u/Endda Jan 14 '15
I think there is a custom kernel for the N5 that is based on Franco but adds in functionality like double tap to wake. I want to say it's the 'linaro kernel' but it uses a lot of sources from Franco
0
Jan 14 '15
1
u/Endda Jan 14 '15
That kernel should work on all AOSP based ROMs. So yes, it should work on SlimKat
6
u/datguykandy Jan 14 '15 edited Jan 14 '15
What's the best kernel for the M7?
Double Tap and improved battery life would be great.
Can't decide which one to pick..
2
u/ziich Jan 15 '15
I've used quite a few on my Sprint m7. I had good battery life and stability with Slippery Sloth, but switched because it didn't have a working compass function at the time.
ElementalX was OK, but I was having instability issues on with ViperOne ROM.
I'm currently using the Bad Seed Customs 4.4.3 stock rom with a built in modified kernel from them. This is my favorite setup so far.
The girlfriend has been satisfied with Bulletproof kernel on her AT&T m7.
Give those a shot.
5
u/ladfrombrad Jan 14 '15
ElementalX, to turn the damn vibrator down so I don't have an heart attack each time it goes off.
5
u/ToasterOFun Jan 14 '15
Using Elemental-X On the Nexus 9. I use it for the fastcharge function and boosts in the cpu/gpu. It isnt missing anything from stock and it doesnt add too much. It allows you to buy an app for $3-5 to easily adjust your settings and update the kernel easily. here is the app and it has no issues and performs fine, i can get 4-5 days of battery out of it when using it somewhat during the late day, and it can idle for over a week.
4
u/cthonctic Jan 14 '15
Faux123 on all my devices - except for the grouper where he seems to have run into problems, unfortunately.
I used to try out a lot of different kernels, the most recent being Franco, before eventually settling on Faux and staying there.
4
u/franciscofranco1990 Jan 15 '15
Once you go Franco you can't leave, it's a prison! :D
1
u/cthonctic Jan 15 '15
Heh, I was actually faithful to your kernel for quite a while. Can't remember anymore what the exact cause was that made me switch as it's been roughly a year ago.
I still have your app installed on all my devices so I may check it out again. Lots of things have changed with LP after all. ;)
4
u/Gingerbread1611 Jan 14 '15
franco kernel with VomerTweaks on my Nexus 6.
2
1
u/Z3ratoss Jan 14 '15
Does vomer actually do anything besides snake oil?
3
u/franciscofranco1990 Jan 15 '15
Uh? You can see the file content, it's just echo'ing some cpu/cpu governor values based on his own liking and he shares it with the users... the era of snake oil superDuperMegaOmgHyperFantasticUber_script is over !
2
u/Mr_Compromise Jan 14 '15
I have noticed no difference using it other than it makes my phone laggier. If I need to squeeze out some more juice from my battery, Franco's power saving profile does a pretty good job, and I don't notice as much lag.
5
1
u/Gingerbread1611 Jan 14 '15
Yes it works great! I'm using the DualMode version which disables 2 of the 4 cores until they are needed.
4
4
u/Tr4il Jan 14 '15
I used Franco kernel from the start with my Oneplus. Just because it gave me the battery life I wanted.
3
u/steel_8 Jan 14 '15
I got the same, Franco kernel is very good at saving energy.
5
3
u/evilf23 Jan 14 '15
Nexus 5 - hammerhead
Code Blue kernel
double tap to wake, balanced battery life/performance profile. use Franco's FKU to manage settings.
was using franco, but after a few sleep of death versions got tired of having to worry if my phone was working when i hadn't heard it for a while.
overall i'm happy. i really just wanted D2TW
4
u/drakehfh Jan 14 '15
Can someone recommend me a good kernel for i9500?
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4
1
2
u/akkiannu Jan 14 '15
I use it for color calibration with Franco. That was my primary motive too since I had a yellow tint on my nexus 4. I use it to enhance the sound of my speakers and ear phones and sometimes fiddling with the processor speed for the sake of it.
2
u/OptionalCookie Jan 14 '15
Buttered toast...mmm tasty :D
Overclocking. I own an old ass htc evo 3d. Over clocking is the only thing I can do for it. :( I go from 1.2 ghz to 1.566 ghz.
Too many features. Haven't found them all yet. But too many is better than too few.
Scripts. My own. Mostly due to an over locking issue that would jerk the CPU around to 384 MHz in the middle of the day for no apparent reason. :( I use Notepad++ to write them and adb push them onto the system.
Again.. Over clocking instability :( I had to correct it with a script and eventually, Cpu Master Pro.
1
u/ekswhyzed Jan 14 '15
Very nice. I always find it more fun to make older hardware perform more optimally than newer hardware even better. On my N5 I have no reason at all to overclock, it's fast enough and it'd only hurt battery. But then I still want to. On my older phones I overclocked and I could really feel it helping out with speed, now not at all.
1
u/MTT93 Jan 14 '15
hows battery life compared to stock?
Im searching for a kernel thats compatible to MIUIv5 for the Evo 3D. If your kernel works with it I might give it a try
1
u/OptionalCookie Jan 15 '15
Battery life is OK.
My battery is in a state of ... expansion to put it lightly.
I keep the phone in a state of charging for hours b/c I tether it in place of actual internet, so the battery is overcharged and has started to literally inflate.
With my nice and unweathered battery, I get great life. Added that I also use CPU Master Pro and when the screen is off, the CPU clock drops to 432 MHz.
I suppose to actually answer your question... I can go a whole day without charging with my settings.
2
u/ImKuya Jan 14 '15
AK Kernel on the OnePlus One. Have control of the CPU in many ways. Hotplugging cores (Set mine as a dual core and only turning on the 2nd core if the first core hits 1728mhz). Also allows undervolting and overclocking if I wanted to use it. On the Nexus 4 I used Trinity kernel. Not overloaded with features that conflict with other settings and just allowed what most tweakers wanted.
2
u/phermey Jan 14 '15
i also use ak on the opo. it seems to be the fastest kernel out for the phone, without having to take a huge hit on battery life.
2
u/Endda Jan 14 '15
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LG G3
I've been using one called the 'optimized' kernel from Flechinator(or something) but I yesterday I switched back to Rin's custom kernel because he finally released an AOSP Lollipop one.
Both of these are based on CM12's kernel. I enjoyed Flech's because it had Intellidemand2 and that seemed to give me the best battery life. With Rin's, I have had to revert back to Intellimm. It's ok. It's not as good as Intelidemand2(from my experience), but it's much better than stock interactive(again, from my experience) for battery life
1
u/mlibbey Jan 14 '15
Hey what version of the g3 do you have? Hopefully D852? I can't find a good one for D852
1
u/Endda Jan 14 '15
I'm using the D850 but Rin makes one for the D852
Here's the source link
But it's a community so here is the download link
This is for AOSP Lollipop builds though. If you run LG Stock or KitKat, let me know and I can try to find you a kernel that works with your setup
1
u/mlibbey Jan 14 '15
I am currently running LG Kitkat through Cloudy2.1 I believe thanks for this!!
1
0
Jan 14 '15
1
u/Endda Jan 14 '15
Battery life is about 75% dependent on personal usage and 25% on the kernel you are using. Me saying that I get more battery life from Rin doesn't really mean that you will get more battery life from it.
If you are concerned about battery life though, a custom kernel is definitely what you want to look into. Which ROM/firmware for the D851 are you using?
2
Jan 14 '15
I used to use custom kernels because it used to breathe new life into devices that were hindered by new updates. Now phones are usually powerful enough that I don't have to fuck around with janitoring my phone. And if I am not satisfied with it I'll just sell it and buy something else. Didn't like the Nexus 5 with Lollipop so I just got a Droid Maxx instead.
2
u/MTT93 Jan 14 '15
Im using Francos Kernel on my OPO because i heard its an improvement to the stock kernel.
No complaints so far, battery life was excellent on both. I feel like connecting to Wifi is faster on Francos though
2
2
1
Jan 14 '15
BMS Kernel. Good tweakability, plenty of features. Some slight modification to the settings using TricksterMOD gets me well over a day of normal use.
1
u/yashau Jan 14 '15
Perseus Kernel on my Note 4 for sound control options.
1
u/Butterman1997 Jan 14 '15
There is Perseus kernel for Note 4? Can you give me link because I can't find it.
2
u/yashau Jan 14 '15
Here you go. https://github.com/AndreiLux/ref-3.10/releases
1
u/Butterman1997 Jan 14 '15
Thank you very much. Although Ultimate Kernel still looks a bit better for me.
1
0
Jan 14 '15
2
u/darristan Jan 15 '15
Same goes to Semaphore on Galaxy S i9000. This developer is great for prolonging this device lifespan. Compared to stock battery life is definitely better, the dev also managed to squeeze extra ram from disabling some extra kernel feature.
1
u/Zzchechi Jan 15 '15
When you say the phone lasts one whole day, what does the on-screen time look like? Does keeping 4G on drain the battery significantly or what's your experience like?
1
u/Arklese1zure Jan 15 '15
Screen on is usually around 2 and a half hours. 4G I wouldn't know since my country's providers are shit. But I don't notice that much of an impact with 3G turned on.
0
u/just_another_jabroni Jan 15 '15
Shift kernel also allow you to flash GT-I9100 roms..hehehe
The recovery usually comes with the kernel for the S2 because of the partitions IIRC but nothing too tedious though
0
Jan 14 '15
2
1
Jan 14 '15
It works on all AOSP ROMs so yes it should work on SlimKat. However it's always better to make a nandroid backup just in case something goes wrong.
1
u/Xunderground Jan 14 '15
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Device: Sprint LG G2 (LS980)
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ROM: Vanir Exodus [1/12 nightly] (Android Lollipop 5.0.2)
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Kernel: RenderBroken's RenderKernel R7
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As for why I use a custom kernel in general on this device: The headphone output on the LG G2 is horribly low, and generally unusable on my headphones. Due to unexpected costs I could not afford to get a headphone amplifier, so the solution I found was to use Fauxsound to boost the analog headphone amplifier. Fauxsound requires kernel support so I'm trapped using a kernel with Fauxsound support for as long as I gave this device.
So why am I using the Render kernel specifically? To be honest, because it's the only custom kernel available for the G2 running Lollipop. The only other custom kernel around is the Dorimanx kernel and that's designed for KitKat AOSP and stock only.
But this kernel does have quite a few advantages over Dorimanx anyway. The entire kernel is controllable through Synapse, while Dorimanx splits its options through both Synapse and STweaks. Other than that, I just tweaked the default settings to put the max CPU back up to 2265Mhz, and overclock the GPU to a max of 650Mhz.
1
u/mlibbey Jan 14 '15
Anyone know a good kernel for battery for LG G3 D852 (Canada)? Dying for a good one!
1
u/lihaarp Jan 14 '15
I'm using CM11 on an LG G2. I compiled my own kernel based on CM11 with slight modifications. My goal was to enable undervolting and overclicking on my terms. There are unofficial kernels out there, but they're extremely unprofessional, modified by kids whom you'd normally find tuning cars, adding and changing a billion things with very questionable results. "Tweaked beyond belief" sounds more like a threat to me. That's why I roll my own. No problems so far.
1
Jan 14 '15
Render Kernel on my LG G2. The CM12 rom that I use destroys the battery life and Render seems to fix it.
1
u/BitingChaos Jan 14 '15
I forgot the specifics, but I went with CyanogenMod 6.1 (Android 2.2 / Froyo) on my HTC Dream/G1, and then with the "danger radio" (custom radio flashed that freed like 10% more system RAM) and a custom "2708" kernel that worked with the updated radio firmware and allowed the device to better deep sleep.
The phone was pretty slow, but it was way more capable than when HTC abandoned it on Android version 1.
2
1
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u/pandapanda730 Jan 14 '15
I used Elite-GPE on my sprint m8, but i've since cancelled my sprint service and went back to AT&T, so we'll see what i use for my nexus 6. ;)
1
u/drbluetongue Jan 14 '15 edited Jan 14 '15
OC da Note Tree!
EDIT: Running @2.5ghz Temasek's kernel.
Can you overclock the GPU?
1
u/t3rr0r_f3rr3t Jan 14 '15
Not one myself, but... Could I use a custom kernel with the stock kitkat on an XT1032 Moto G? It's rooted and bootloader unlocked. If so, would doing so give me trouble when Lollipop is released for my device?
1
Jan 14 '15
Chaos kernel for N5, CAF is getting really great on Lollipop. It has built-in Synapse app to configure the settings.
1
1
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u/blacksheep420 Jan 15 '15
LG G Watch R: intersectRaven's kernel for interactive governor and modified clock scaling
Nexus 7 LTE: ElementalX for tap to wake
LG G3: Stock because meh
(Soon) HTC One M8: ElementalX for tap to wake
1
u/curiouscrustacean Jan 15 '15
Franco's for N4. For sound gain, battery life and probably some other thing im forgetting
2
u/franciscofranco1990 Jan 15 '15
And cat improvements!
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u/kindofabuzz Jan 15 '15
I use ElementalX on my N7 2013. I use it for over/under clocking and battery life.
1
u/m50 Jan 15 '15
I use it for the OTG + Charging capability, but it is rather poor and finicky. I'd like to use USBRom but I am not paying for it. I'll happily donate to a good project, but I will not out right BUY a ROM.
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u/iHateMyUserName2 Jan 15 '15
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ElementalX on my Nexus 6
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Improved battery life, vibration motor controls, USB quick charge, LED charge indicator, double tap to wake
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Nope, has what I need from it
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Ironically, Franco kernal updator
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Honestly, 0 known issues as of yet
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Started with Franco, but went to ElementalX after a string of buggy updates to Franco on my Nexus 5. Haven't looked back since.
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u/franciscofranco1990 Jan 15 '15
String of buggy updates? Care to explain? Thanks.
1
u/iHateMyUserName2 Jan 15 '15
I wish I could remember which versions it was, but I believe it was in the r30's-r40's ballpark- issues were that the kernal would show up as the top consumer in the battery section time and time again. During this time, my standby usage would be in the ballpark of about 7-5% per hour. That's with nothing else being close to the kernal in terms of consumption (nothing else was running). I do remember one of the versions (I think r37) taking it down to about 1% per hour, but when I updated that was gone and at the time couldn't remember which to go back to. At that time I was new to the kernal thing so my patience was gone. All this was while running C-Rom, and if you're at all familiar with it, there were almost 0 updates once it came out. So I blamed your kernal and moved on.
1
u/franciscofranco1990 Jan 15 '15
That was really unlucky, the r30-r40 series had a couple issues because I was trying to follow CM's branch to be compatible with them but a couple of their patches caused a huge memory leak so before I decided to scrap all and start from scratch I'm sure I lost a couple users. Sorry dude, hope you try FK again, it's pretty stable at the moment!
1
u/GNex1 Jan 15 '15
My Galaxy Nexus has, for as long as I can remember, had a color tint issue where at low brightness, blacks can become purplish. One of the primary features of custom kernels has always been manual control over the color settings, and a number of kernels shipped with a default color profile that explicitly fixed that effect.
I also followed the popular kernels for a while to see what was up with the performance and battery improvements that gets talked up so much, but after 3 years I'm not sure that it really amounts to much. Seems to be plenty of releases and regressions where everything is a perpetual WIP that the fanboys praise to no end but the developers have a more agnostic approach of just fiddling with things to see what doesn't break. I mean sure, most of it sounds great, but the stock kernel seems like it's pretty great at its job. I'm sure that some of the tweaks or new profiles do actually improve some things, but the lack of anything definitive ever being said on the topic (other than people flaunting benchmarks) is a turnoff for me.
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u/xyntrx Jan 15 '15
It's not compatible with my current tablet but when it's available I will always use Faux kernel. He just seems to have a deeper understanding of kernel writing then the other options. He always adds the most recent tech but he won't put it in the release candidates until everything is stable. His performance and available options are always a step above the competition and the Faux kernel app and Faux sound apps make a complete solution that integrates together perfectly. I've done a lot of A/B testing in the past and Faux always beats the competition in performance, stability, and battery life.
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u/SystemEx1 Jan 15 '15
ElementalX was my first ever custom kernel for my device(N5 and HTC one m7) and I am still using it! The battery life is better than stock, more customizations like **Double tap to wake, overclocking and. Another big reason why I am using it because it has **Kexec-hardboot patch (for multirom). I am very happy to use it and I am not planning to change.
1
u/iturnedintoanewt Jan 16 '15
Until very recently Noobdev's kernel, as it allowed to keep using CyanogenMod, but with the functionality of moving apps from my overcrowded 16GB internal storage to my huge 64GB SD card. Tons of apps installed with no issue. Now I moved to Lollipop, and I'm missing it dearly.
1
u/tstorm004 Jan 16 '15
I used to use crdroid's custom kernal on my HTC DNA, I had an iffy power/lock button, and the kernal allowed me to double tap the screen to wake the device.
1
u/theodeus Jan 14 '15
former nexus 4 user here. currently using oneplus one.
ak is god for me.
he is the only reason why i switched phones.
reasons why i use custom kernels:
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complete control.
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thats it.
1
Jan 14 '15
ElementalX. I use custom kernels because Google totally made my Nexus 5 shit. With ElementalX I get better battery life on Lollipop.
0
u/Termich Jan 14 '15
I've been looking for a good kernel for i9195 (s4 mini lte). Anyone recommends one for 4.4.2?
0
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u/lordpimmelnase Jan 14 '15
Using Elemental-X on my Nexus 5. Was a long-time franco-user but I dislike the fact that I need to buy an app to configure stuff, even thought I know I could use kerneltweaker etc. Elemental uses Aromainstaller to let me configure everything when I flash it without any app needed, which I really like. I use a custom kernel mainly for battery-improvments. Since its a Nexus, never had any problems with kernels which I used on this device.